Aaron Ramsdale has been linked with a move away from Arsenal in recent weeks, but Mikel Arteta wants to retain his services.
Aaron Ramsdale has struggled for regular game time, and he might need to leave Arsenal to play week in week out. However, a report from Give Me Sport claims that Mikel Arteta wants to hold on to the goalkeeper for now.
A January exit seems quite unlikely now, and it remains to be seen whether the 25-year-old is prepared to stay at Arsenal until the end of the season. He was a key player for the north London club last season and he helped them compete for the league title.
Ben Jacobs claimed: “I’m also told that if Arsenal have their way, they would still like to keep him until the end of the season for depth, and because, despite Raya being the number one, they just don’t see a great deal between the two goalkeepers.”
“So, they believe that Ramsdale has all the qualities to play and step in when needed, whether that’s a congested fixture calendar, an injury, or a drop in form to Raya. So, Arteta doesn’t want to lose Ramsdale, but players will always have their say, too. The longer it goes on where Ramsdale is sitting on the bench, the less happy he will be and the more likely it will be that other clubs come calling.”
David Raya’s arrival has pushed Ramsdale down the pecking order, and it will be interesting to see if he can force his way back into the starting lineup. He will have to outperform the Spanish goalkeeper in training to hold down a starting spot at Arsenal.
There is no doubt that he is a quality goalkeeper, and he could start for most clubs in the Premier League. There will be no shortage of suitors if he is made available in January. However, Arsenal cannot hope to go through an entire season with just one reliable goalkeeper. So, they do not want to sanction the Englishman’s departure in January.
However, staying at Arsenal until the end of the season could be detrimental to his chances of playing regularly for England in the upcoming European Championships. He will want to establish himself as a regular starter for the England national team and needs to play regularly at club level for that to happen. But Arteta does not want to part ways with him in January.
The player joined Arsenal from Sheffield United in a £30 million deal. The 25-year-old goalkeeper needs to play regularly at this stage of his career, and sitting on the bench at Arsenal will not aid his development in any way. And showdown talks with Arteta might help. The Gunners must look to provide him with more opportunities if they want to hold on to him until the end of the season.
